At one time the most hip underground club in Auckland, this large, discrete, multi-room space has been transformed into one of the country's leading vintage studios. Housing more than just an impressive collection of musical equipment, the most important feature is that it’s all within a liberating environment, seething with noir character and the ghosts of illegitimate children, with restaurants, a liquor outlet, burgers, pies, and decent coffee all within stumbling distance.

The Lab is like a large comfortable lounge that also happens to have a serious studio in it. While the environment is the perfect place for musicians to relax, feel comfortable and send the distractions of life to the back blocks for a while, the studio is stacked with equipment that could be called both “industry standard” and of the highest quality. Olly, the resident house engineer, has the knowledge and experience to get the very best out of the setup without anyone really noticing, so that the technical aspects are kept as far away as possible from interfering with the creative process.

The main recording room is large without being excessively reverberant, and has a characteristic ambience that is well regarded and particularly useful, while also being highly conducive to musicians enjoying themselves while performing in the room together.

There is also a smaller isolation room (formerly the stage when the place was a nightclub), which is great for a super 70’s drum sound, isolating loud things, or any other application that requires as little ambience as possible.

The control room is full of comfy couches, a collection of odd lamps, and houses a superb little vintage Neve. It’s a great place to spend the better part of a day.